Confession
by kitsunelover
Summary: Kuwabara's birthday, a cunning fox, a hapless fire demon, a Sister and a confession. Oneshot fic.


_Confession_

Disclaimer: Hahaha, do you really think I'm crazy enough to say that I own YYH?  You must be insane.  *laughs hysterically*  Keep all lawsuits at least 300 feet away, please.

"Bless you, my darling, and remember you are always in the heart - oh tucked so close there is no chance of escape - of your sister." 

-Katherine Mansfield

The night air was cool and pleasant; Kurama breathed in deeply as he strolled to Kuwabara's house.  Walking was good exercise, and besides, he thought, who would want to miss an evening like this?  One couldn't fully appreciate the beauty of the night in a car, and the nocturnal charm was in full swing tonight.  The moon was white and full, and the stars danced in harmony to the sigh of the wind.

It was Kuwabara's birthday, and he was holding a small dinner party to celebrate.  Yukina, Shizuru, Yusuke, Keiko, and Botan were probably already there, and Kurama didn't think anyone else had been invited.

He shifted a small package from one hand to the other.  Yesterday he'd gotten Kuwabara a CD that he thought Kuwabara would appreciate.  Four more blocks, and he'd be there.

A trickle of unease suddenly flowed between Kurama's shoulder blades and pooled in the small of his back.  His muscles tensed and he looked around warily.  He sensed the youki of a powerful youkai close by – possibly even following him.  Something was bounding lightly through the trees next to the sidewalk, and Kurama heard the swish of leaves.  Focusing all his attention on the energy signature, he quickly gave a sigh of relief.  It was familiar, though stronger than it had been when they had last met.

"Hiei, stop stalking me and come out into the open," Kurama called.

"Hn.  Can't scare you.  Good to see you've still got your old instincts," grunted Hiei as he dropped out of a tree and fell into step with Kurama.

"It's nice to see you too," Kurama returned, grinning.  "What are you doing here?"

"There's nothing to do in Makai.  The youkai have all been quiet lately.  Mukuro's meeting with a group of nobles tonight to discuss politics.  I hate that diplomatic crap."

"I can see why.  Mukuro's pretty good at that though, isn't she?"  Kurama chuckled.

"I guess."  Hiei shrugged.

"I don't believe that you were bored and just decided to drop by, though."  Kurama shifted his package again.  "You would have stayed in Makai and gone out to hunt animals or something."

Hiei ignored that and pointed to the box.  "What's that?"

Kurama smiled.  None of that "I missed you, how are you doing?" kind of thing.  He was short, and to the point: Kurama wondered if Hiei had really been gone that long, he had just popped up and started talking as if they had only seen each other yesterday.  Actually, Kurama thought that was one of Hiei's more endearing traits.

"I'm on my way to Kuwabara's house for dinner.  Today's his birthday.  This is his present."

"That idiot."

"Come along," Kurama suggested.

"Hn."

Secretly, Kurama was laughing to himself.  Hiei had responded as if it were all the same to him, but Kurama knew Hiei wouldn't have left even if he had announced that he was going to Kuwabara's wedding.  Speaking of which . . .

"How is Mukuro?"

Hiei scowled.  "Fine."

"You get along all right?"

"Yeah.  Of course."

"She thinks very highly of you," Kurama commented.  "You, on the other hand . . .."

"What?" Hiei demanded.

"You don't seem to be very enthusiastic on the subject," Kurama said mischievously.

"She's a good person," Hiei finally allowed.

Kurama read into the inflection of his words and saw that some mornings Hiei lay awake in bed with his hand over Mukuro's heart, amazed that such a woman could love him.  This gave him such a feeling of warmth – the fact that the Forbidden Child, once unwanted by anyone, had found someone whose love he could accept and reciprocate.  Early on in their friendship, Kurama had realized that Hiei would never open up fully to him, and he had hoped so much that Hiei would find someone who he could let into the cellar of his soul.

Now that his curiosity was satisfied on that point, Kurama went on to his next topic.

"I think Kuwabara's going to propose to Yukina tonight."

Expecting a livid outburst, Kurama was pleasantly surprised when Hiei only let out a low hiss of exasperation, and perhaps also resignation.

"You're not furious."

"Hn."  His face and tone became guarded.  "It looks like he makes her happy and will always want to.  Yukina shouldn't be alone.  If she chooses him, let her."

"They do love each other very much," Kurama ventured.  After getting no negative response from Hiei, he continued, "Just think how happy Yukina will be tonight, and how lucky it is that you're here to see it."

"Hn."  In the moonlight, Kurama saw Hiei's features soften at the thought of his little sister, and thought that maybe, if he did this right, Yukina would have another reason to celebrate this night.

"Did you know that Yukina still hasn't stopped wondering about her brother?"

At this, Hiei very nearly stopped in his tracks, but he recovered admirably.

"Hn."

"Of course she's realized that it's pointless for her to go out and search for him anymore.  She's got _you_ doing that," Kurama began pointedly.

Unconsciously, Hiei's hand went up to clench the two hiriuseki at his neck.

"Since you live in Makai," he finished.  "But you haven't visited until now, and she mentions her brother often.  She'll never believe that he's dead."

"Stop it, Kurama," Hiei growled.

"Why?" asked Kurama.

Hiei said nothing.

"She misses you very much, you know.  Not as her brother, but as you.  She misses Hiei."

A beat.

"Why is it that you can look at Mukuro with nothing to hide, but not Yukina?  Why do you lie to one and not the other?"

"You can't compare them," Hiei snapped.

"You're right.  Yukina's your_ sister._"

Beside Kurama, Hiei only snorted and drew his shoulders up as if to withdraw into himself.  Now there was only one block to Kuwabara's house.  Kurama knew he must work efficiently now.

"None of us will ever tell, Yukina, least of all me.  That's your right.  I won't exaggerate and say that never knowing her brother will break her heart.  But I need to ask: _what harm could it do_?"

"She –," Hiei began.

"None," Kurama interrupted quietly, answering himself.  "Only good.  That's all it would do."

"I'm not -," started Hiei again, but Kurama cut him off a second time.

"Don't tell me you're not good enough for her.  She doesn't want a saint, she wants a brother.  You care about her, and that is enough."

Although Kurama possessed no psychic Jagan, he was able to read Hiei's thoughts as clearly as if they had been written on his forehead.  What Hiei feared more than anything in the world was Yukina discovering their relation, and reacting with horror, repulsion . . . or even with simple disappointment.  Kurama knew that the face of a disillusioned Yukina saying "oh" in a small voice upon finding that Hiei was her brother was infinitely more frightening and terrible to his friend than a thousand deaths.

"How can you – you don't know -," Hiei sounded lost, frustrated.

Gently, Kurama laid his hand on Hiei's shoulder.  "No.  I never had a sister.  Yukina is a beautiful girl."

And he meant it in every sense of the word.  He meant it in a way that went beyond physical splendor but included it as well.

"Yes.  She is," said Hiei in a voice barely above a whisper.

They stood in front of Kuwabara's house.

Someone inside said something and everyone else broke out in laughter.  Yukina's voice seemed to rise above the rest.

Then, Hiei began to walk purposefully up to the door.  Kurama followed him.  Halfway there, however, Hiei turned.

"Kurama," he said, a doubtful look on his face, "don't you think this is a bit cruel to the oaf?"

Kurama nearly burst out laughing.  "No, Hiei," he grinned, "I don't think it is."

Hiei returned a small smirk of his own.  "Screw him."

In his mind, Kurama could picture Yukina throwing her arms around Hiei and the plink-plink-plink of her tears.  He could even see Hiei's face, stripped of all its defenses, looking almost childlike.  Kurama sighed with happiness.  But he was getting ahead of himself. 

In front of him, Hiei stepped up and rang the doorbell.

Yukina opened the door.

And smiled.

A/N: Semi-fluffy, eh?  Well, if you liked it, review.  (Naw, really?)  ^__^


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